


as we come together

by fifteen_half



Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 23:24:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4368311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fifteen_half/pseuds/fifteen_half
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the giant door breaks because of the screaming and running tourists, Claire, Owen, Zach and Gray don't get in the car together. Instead, they are swept by the crowd and separated.</p><p>As Claire helps with crowd control, Zach manages to find Owen. With Gray still missing, Owen and Zach starts to search for him. But when Hoskins' plan to use the raptors come to light, Owen is forced to take Zach with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	as we come together

**Author's Note:**

> Original prompt was, "When the giant door breaks because of the screaming and running tourists, Claire, Owen, Zach and Gray don't get in the car together. They are separated with no way to reach each other."
> 
> To the prompter: I got fixated on 'separated' that I completely missed 'with no way to reach other'. For that, I am sorry. My bias is also totally obvious so I'm sorry for that too.
> 
> Despite that, I hope you do enjoy reading this!

"Get in the car! Now!"

"Gray! Hurry!"

"Owen, it's locked!"

"Stand back, I'm gonna break the--,"

Too late.

When the crowd clears, Owen finds himself alone.

* * *

She's pushed and pulled and pushed and pulled until she's thrown out of the crowd and into the streets, dazed and disoriented. It takes Claire a while to get her bearings. When she does, the first thing she does is yell, "Gray! Zach! Owen! Where--,"

But none of them are there.

Somehow, she'd ended up in the Main Street again, men and women sprawled all over. Some of them so still one would think they-- Claire forces herself to turn away, horrified.

Jurassic World had been her life for years. She'd known that this was a possibility, but the reality of it is beyond her.

It almost feels like the end of the world.

A movement beside her causes her to flinch. She takes a steadying breath when she realizes it's just a child.

The little girl looks at her. Then begins to cry. She's asking for her mother, her father, her big sister. Claire doesn't know what to do.

Should she leave this child by herself? Something had upset Owen, something about his raptors. She knows about Vic Hoskins, knows that whatever plan he'd cooked up would go bad very fast.

Claire knows that that is more important. She had to find Owen, had to _find her nephews_. And she had to stop Hoskins before it's too late.

But the child is right there beside her. And many, many more on the streets, as far as her eyes can see.

Her mind tells her to go and find Owen, to stop the Indominous before she reaches the docks. Her heart, however, breaks at the sight of so many needing help.

Her phone still miraculously with her, she sends a text to Lowery, asking him to update her with Hoskins' every action and, more importantly, to keep an eye out for her nephews and Owen.

When she receives a one word response, she takes a calming breath then turns to the still crying child.

"Hey now, it's okay. It's all right. I know you're scared but I need you to be brave, okay? There are a lot of hurt people and I want to help them. Can you be brave for just a little while more and help me help them?"

* * *

Grimacing at the bruises already appearing on his skin, Zach takes a moment to forumalte a plan so he could _get the hell out_ of this place.

He was supposed to be skiing with friends this winter break, but _no_. Of course their parents had to be priority. Their issues had to come first before their _own kids_. It had always been this way. Always. And now look where it got them. Now he had to deal with losing Gray. And _of course_ it would be his fault again.

No matter how much he tries, he always ends up as the screw-up; the shame of the family. Zach had given up a long time ago trying to be the son they wanted. Still, the way they'd look so disappointed in him _hurt_ so he'd pushed everyone away; everyone, including Gray.

But now things have changed.

He'd almost lost Gray doing something so stupid. He did it with the best intentions, of course, like how it always starts. But like always, he somehow always screws it up.

So maybe his family is right. Maybe he is just a screw-up. Maybe he'll always be a nuisance. And maybe he really is just that dumb kid overrshadowed by his genius baby brother.

Maybe.

But right now is not the time to deal with 'maybes'.

He will find his brother. And he will find him alive. And they'll both get off this island.

There is no room for 'maybes' in that.

* * *

In his attempts to escape the crowd, Gray finds himself near the Mosasaurus tank.

He knows the layout of the park. Had it memorized _weeks_ before coming here. And he knows how to get back to the place where he'd lost them. But he also knows that none of them might be there anymore either.

Gray knows he should find the adults first. They would know, _should_ know, what to do, how to keep them alive. But the only person who could make him _feel safe_ is Zach, born out of years hiding in his elder brother's side, years of promises that he'd be protected, that he could keep Gray safe from ghosts and monsters hiding under his bed. And actually keeping that promise.

Even as Zach had started pushing him away, he'd somehow always managed to be _there_ when Gray needed him. Somehow always knows where he'd hidden, knows what to do to get him to come out, knows what to say to calm him down, to help him fight his nightmares.

No.

Gray doesn't need the adults.

He only needs Zach.

* * *

Owen knows he should at least make sure that Claire and her nephews were all right. But the need to make sure his raptors were safe was making things difficult. Conflicted, Owen couldn't even start the truck.

There is no doubt in Owen's mind that Hoskins will use his raptors to hunt the Indominous down. The man had been wanting for an opportunity like this after all. And perhaps they'd be able to get the raptors to follow. But how many lives will be wasted if he isn't there? He's their alpha. They will only follow him.

What worries him most though, is if the raptors don't follow, how many would be left until he gets there? How many--

A slam at the truck's door startles him. He's got his gun cocked and he's ready to shoot when he realizes it's one of Claire's nephews. Gray. Or is it Zach?

His heart still beating a mile a minute, Owen hastily puts the gun away and opens the door. He's frowning hard when he yells, "Goddammit, kid! Don't you ever do that again! That was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea. I could have shot you! You could be dead right now!"

The kid has his hands raised, a first aid kid clutched tightly on his right hand, as he stares at Owen nervously. Swallowing thickly, he shakily replies, "Y-yeah. No. Not gonna do that again. Sorry. I'm sorry."

Taking a deep, deep breath to settle his nerves (he could have killed a child for chrissakes!), Owen shakes his head and chuckles without mirth, "Yeah. I'm sorry too, kid. I just... I get twitchy when friggin' dinosaurs chase me!"

That gets a smirk from the kid. And once again, Owen wonders how they could be so calm in this sort of situation. Anyone else would have fled to safety; parents, siblings or friends be damned. But this one had returned.

Decision made, Owen gestures for the kid to get inside the truck, "Come on, kid. Let's go find your Aunt and brother."

Surprisngly, the kid shakes his head, "I already know where Aunt Claire is. She's on the main street getting help for the injured. I seriously think she'll have built an entire hospital by tomorrow. She's fine. She knows where we are. I just need to find Gray. I thought he'd come back here, so."

"Wait," Owen says, frowning incredulously at the kid, "How do you--,"

"Oh, right," he suddenly says, and then taking out a walkie talkie from the first aid kit, he continues, "Here. Take this. Just in case. You need to go after those raptors or something, right? I got to talk to some guy named Lowery at the Control Room, and he said something about that. Like how letting raptors loose was a bad idea. And yeah, duh, obviously a bad idea. He's the one who told me about Aunt Claire, too."

Taking the walkie talkie, Owen regards the kid in a new light, impressed. "Where'd you find this?"

"A merch booth. I was going for the first aid kit but that was there too so," he shrugs, uncomfortable with Owen's stare, "I was buying Gray some dorky souvenirs this morning and just happened to see the kit. It's just dumb luck."

"Dumb luck?" Owen repeats, surprised, "It was lucky, sure. But it ain't dumb. No one else would have noticed that. I'm impressed, kid. I'm serious. You're the one who got that jeep running again too, am I right?"

The kid quickly looks away from him then, 'Zach' he now knows, his face flushed, body tense, as if unused to praise. Before Owen could contemplate that, however, Zach mumbles, "Gray helped, too."

As if saying a magic word, Zach's entire demeanor changes. He's impatient now, stressed.

Owen can relate.

Switching to the channel he knows Barry's on, Owen presses the talk on the radio and prays, "Barry? Barry, it's me--,"

"Owen! Thank God!"

Sighing in relief, Owen urgently asks, "Barry, is Hoskins there?"

"Yes. Yes, he is," Barry answers, his voice tight and angry, "He wants to use the raptors to hunt the escaped asset. I'm trying to stall but, you know how Hoskins is."

Feeling the dread start to pool in his stomach, Owen asks, "How long can you stall, Barry? There's something important I need to do."

"Something more important than your raptors?" Barry asks, his tone one of disbelief.

"Yeah," Owen replies, looking straight at Zach, "Something more important than that."

Something must have reached the other man, because he'd agreed without any questions, "All right, Owen. I will do my best."

"Thank you, Barry."

"I'll keep you updated."

Gesturing once again at Zach to get in the car, Owen says, "Well? Are we going to find your brother or are we gonna?"

Zach's eyes widen in surprise for a moment, as if he couldn't believe what Owen had said. Hesitant, Zach asks, "Are you sure? I can look for my brother by myself. He's my responsibility after all. And I'm pretty sure raptors on the loose is more important than me and Gray."

"Yes," Owen agrees, but says, "But they aren't loose now. Not yet. But your brother is lost. And alone. I'm pretty sure he needs our help more than my raptors. And besides, I'm not letting you out there by yourself. Your Aunt will hang me. Upside down. By my toes."

Zach considers Owen for moment, before he nods, smiling gratefully at him. Climbing onto the truck's passenger seat, Zach straps on his seatbelt as he says, "Gray's small so there's no way he could have escaped that crowd easily. Do you think he might be around the mosa... erm, that huge, aquatic dino's tank?"

"The mosasaurus tank?" Owen says, not unkindly as he starts the truck, "And yeah, sure. I don't really know where the mob went, so I'll trust in what you say. Let's just keep an eye out for him on the way there."

At the corner of his eye, Owen could see Zach staring at him. Carefully navigating through the debris on the road, he glances at the kid and asks, "Something wrong?"

Zach quickly shakes his head and says, "N-no! I just... Just. Thank you. For this. I don't think a lot of adults would drop whatever important thing they have to do for strangers. For us. So I just wanted to say thank you."

About to wave the gratitude away, Owen is interrupted when Zach smirks and says, "So in return, I'll make sure you and Aunt Claire stay together. If I can get Gray to help, I'm a hundred percent sure we can get more than one date out of Aunt Claire. She may be all business-like and ice-cold, but I swear to you, she is putty in Gray's hands. You'll get her to say yes in days!"

Surprised, Owen chuckles and asks, "Uh, thanks, I guess? But seriously, there's no need to--,"

"Aw, come on, Owen! You'd be the coolest uncle ever! And you made Aunt Claire totally badass! You're good for her! I mean, she obviously already likes you!"

"...she does?"

"Dude, do you think she would have allowed you to kiss her if she didn't? You just need to win her mind over. She's one of those head over heart-- STOP THE CAR!"

Surprised, Owen hits on the breaks hard. Before the truck even stopped moving, Zach already had the door open, running towards something Owen couldn't see. Climbing out of the truck himself, Owen grabs his gun and looks warily around for stray pteranodons. He sees Zach pick something from the ground.

"This is Gray's dork pouch," Zach says worriedly, "He should be here. He should be near... Gray! Gray, where are you?!"

Looking around for any sign of the youngest kid, Owen couldn't help but see the destruction left behind the attack. Owen had believed in Masrani's vision. Jurassic World isn't just a park where people can come to be entertained and amazed. It's a place where people should be humbled. Well, they're certainly humbled now.

"Zach," Owen suddenly says, finding something on the ground, "I don't think your brother's here anymore."

"What? What do you mean?"

Pointing at the tire tracks, Owen says, "Evac trucks. They must have picked him up when they passed. He could be in the docks already, Zach. Where you should be, by the way."

Zach, however, shakes his head, "No. Gray may be a genius but he's the type who'll follow his feelings more than his own logic. He'll go where he feels safest."

"Which is in the docks," Owen repeats, "Where most of the people are."

"Yeah, but that's logic speaking. Like I said, he'll go where he feels safe."

Always quick to put things together, Owen says, "I'm assuming that's wherever you may be?"

Zach shrugs, "I don't think I could stay in the docks either, if Gray wasn't with me."

"But if he was forced to go?"

Zach takes a while before answering, "Do you think he was?"

"It's the most likely scenario." Owen had been about to explain why when the radio suddenly blares into life and Barry's panicked voice could be heard,

"Owen! Owen, if you can hear me, you have to come here. Right. Now!"

Owen stares at Zach, unsure if he should leave him or put him in more danger. Deciding that the devil he knows is better, Owen quickly grabs Zach's arms and pulls him towards the truck.

As expected, the kid protests, unwilling to leave his little brother behind.

Pushing the kid into the passenger seat, Owen makes Zach look at him as he says, "You have to trust me, Zach. Gray is in the docks. And he will be safe there. You, on the other hand, will not be if I leave you here. So I'm sorry, I know I said we'd find your brother, and we will, I swear to you, we will. But I can't leave you here. I know that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but please, for my peace of mind, please, I need you to come with me."

Affording Owen the same trust he'd given him earlier, even though he still desperately wants to find his brother, Zach puts on his seatbelt and says, "Well? Are we going to save your raptors or are we gonna?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just allowed this to write by itself so the next one might even be crazier...


End file.
